To All The Blind Moms Out There; I “See” You.

To the blind mom feeling frustrated because her Uber driver refuses to allow her guide dog in the car and she’s late to her kid’s school recital …

To the blind mom battling debilitating eye pain, attempting to instill her eye drops with one hand, while balancing an infant on her hip with the other…

To the blind mom whose partner was called in for overtime and is wondering how the hell she’s going function alone for another 12 hours because her eyes are throbbing and she’s utterly exhausted….

To the blind mom crying herself to sleep because she feels judged by family and friends who doubt she can raise her family independently…

To the blind mom feeling guilty after yelling at her children for refusing to hold her hand in the store, because as much as you want them to be independent; you also want them to be safe,

To the blind mom, who’s mid-divorce, fearful that her soon to be “fully-sighted EX” will attempt to use her sight loss against her in a court of law…

To the blind mom being dragged across the street by that well-meaning passerby, trying to process her feelings of both irritation and embarrassment in front of her children…

To the blind mom lying on the hospital gurney, about to have her C-section, asking herself, “How am I ever going to do this without vision?”

To the educated blind mom who’s been turned down for every job interview she’s had in the past 6 months, because despite her qualifications, they’ve consistently “found a more suitable candidate” …

To the blind mom wrestling with the idea of leaving her children for 3 weeks while she attends guide dog training, feeling scared and unsure if she’s made the right decision for her family…

To the blind mom sitting in the ophthalmologist’s office, gripping the handles of the exam chair, hoping her vision hasn’t gotten any worse…

I want you to know; I “see” you.
I “see” your struggles.

I share your worries, but I also know;  WE CAN DO THIS!

Juggling sight loss while parenting is an uphill battle. It is a difficult and challenging journey that very few women can understand. Trust me when I tell you; I feel you. And even on the days when you don’t feel like talking about it, or when you need to revert to that quiet place within yourself; I want you to know that I “see” you!

And you are Beautiful.

And Smart.

And Courageous.

And Funny.

And Inspirational. No, not because you’re blind, but because you’re a woman doing her best every day to raise your family.

You, my friend, are a Damned Good Mother.

Those tiny little people we’ve chosen to bring into this world – we need to remember “WE” are their brightest stars!

We need to remember, it’s the feeling of “our” arms wrapped around them that brings them comfort.

We need to remember, it’s the sound of “our” voices that soothes our newborns to sleep.

We need to remember that although “our” kids know their mommies are different; we are also more than enough.

Our children believe we are the most amazing, most beautiful creatures to ever grace this earth.

They want nothing more… than us.  We are the center of their universe.

Yes, we may live in darkness, but we light up their world with our presence.

So to all my fellow blind mommas who needed a gentle reminder today about how incredibly awesome and amazing each one of you are; I want you to know, I “see” you!  It is a privilege to have you be a part of my life!